Summer Magic with Gazillion Bubbles

What kid doesn’t love bubbles? Well really, what person doesn’t love bubbles? They’re fun, whimisical, delicate, and honestly, down right magical. Especially when the sun shines through them at just the right angle and they glisten with all their rainbow colours.

 

Gazillion Bubbles knows bubbles-and they do them well. They have a large range of products- all bubble related-from bubble guns, basic bubble jugs with wands, bubble machines, like the Bubble Monsoon (which we have a blast with almost every day) and they’re newest super-fun product, their Crazy Wands.

 

Available in quirky and fun lips and mustached shaped wands, they come with their own small jug of bubbles, and special dipping tray, to add a whole new element and make for hours of fun bubble play.

 

Gazillion Bubble products are available at Toys R Us Canada, Wal Mart Canada and online on Amazon.ca.

Grab some today to help give your summer that extra touch of magic.

Healthy Treats and Eats with Baby Gourmet

It’s become a Christmas tradition in our house since Ryker was born, that each Christmas Eve, the kids get a Christmas Eve box.

Inside the box is always a pair of Christmas pyjamas, a new book and a special snack to enjoy.

This year, our go to brand for snacks for our growing boys was Baby Gourmet. Not only do they make a wide range of treats suitable for both our 7 month old and 4 year old, but they’re fun, nutritious, organic, and Canadian owned and operated.

For Ryker, who is four, we chose from their line up of snacks geared toward older children.

Baby Gourmet makes fun squeeze pouches for school aged kids called Slammers-an on the go, easy to pack in school lunch boxes, organic and nutritious, don’t-stop-the-fun treat in delicious flavours like “Awesome” which is bananas, blueberries, strawberries, beets, acai, and amaranth. Or Ryker’s personal favourite, “Chill’n” which is bananas, blueberries, butternut squash, Greek yogurt and yumberry.

We also chose their new Puffies, a crunchy, 100% organic quinoa snack loaded with 1 billion probiotics and available in two different flavours, Strawberry and Beet, which is fruity and has a pleasant, slight sweetness to it, and the more savoury Broccoli and Cheddar, which makes a great mid-afternoon snack.

 

For Oakley, who is still rocking a single tooth and is still a newbie to the solid food world, we went a more traditional route.

Infant cereal is a staple in lot of baby’s first diets, whether it’s mixed with other purees, or served on it’s own, and Baby Gourmet offers a wide range of nutritious and delicious varieties that soar well above the competitions generic, boring old, plain rice cereal.

We chose the apple and spinach, but Baby Gourmet also offers banana and raisin, ancient grains, brown rice and oatmeal varieties-with each one being packed full of iron and B vitamins and are easy to digest and have no added sugar or salt.

Baby Gourmet also has one of the best varieties of fruit and veggie based meal pouches that I’ve found on the market-with unique combinations like, Vanilla Banana Berry Risotto,  Hearty Vegetable with Turkey,  Juicy Pear and Garden Greens, and Autumn Pumpkin, Pear and Beef Stew or more textured options for the more adventurous little eater like Chicken Minestrone Soup, Fruity Chicken and Brown Rice or their awesome freeze dried Mushies snacks.

Whichever you choose, you really can’t go wrong with the goodness, nutrition, and amazing deliciousness of Baby Gourmet.

 

Happy Holidays everyone!

 

*This post was sponsored by Baby Gourmet, as I was given product in exchange for my honest opinion.*

 

 

The Perfect Cozy Blanket

Who doesn’t love climbing into bed, or cozying up on the couch after a long day with a warm blanket and a good TV show or book? The Blanket Shoppe has the perfect blankets for just that, and they’re completely customizable too!

Based in Toronto and made with yarn crafted in Canada, these quality blankets are soft, warm and durable and the perfect size for your little one.

 

 

The Blanket Shoppe offers a huge selection of designs, languages and a choice of 18 colours to mix and match to make your blanket perfect for you. They are also open to any ideas and creative suggestions to work with you on making your blanket exactly what you want it to be.

 

From fire trucks to hearts, and everything in between, you’re bound to find and create the perfect blanket for your little at The Blanket Shoppe. Nothing beats warm, snuggly, quality, and personalized Canadian made coziness. They make great gifts too!

How The Zen Sack Changed Bed Time

My oldest son was always an amazing night time sleeper. At 11 weeks, he was fed, changed, snuggled and put to bed and would consecutively sleep through the night. (day time naps weren’t quite so successful)

Oakley, at 19 weeks, has slept through the night already on several occasions-but as for making it a daily occurrence, that has yet to happen.

Oakley loves touch, loves to be snuggled and cozy and loves being held. I’m not a personal fan of co-sleeping, as it just doesn’t work for our family, and so I needed a solution.

 

I’d seen Nested Bean’s Zen Sack on other blog sites and mama run Instagram accounts-and it peaked my curiosity.

With it’s lightly weighted pad (that cute little chick on the chest) and a plush upper panel, it simulates the pressure of your touch, which for a baby like Oakley, was perfect.

With adjustable shoulder tabs and a two way zipper system, these cozy, soft sleep sacks are functional, warm and come in a variety of super cute prints and colours. And as an extra little tidbit, if you have a babe that enjoys sleeping on their tummy-just simply flip the sack around so that the weight is on their back.

The sack is also available in swaddle form for those tiny one’s who aren’t quite ready to have their arms free.

We now have a much more rested little dude, and mama. 😉

 

And lucky for us in the this great country of Canada, Nested Bean now has a site created just for us!

Cozy up over to their great new Canadian site here and enjoy free shipping on orders over $60.00 CDN and be sure to use the code PR-CANADA15 at check out to enjoy 15% off your order!

This post was sponsored by Nested Bean with an exchange of product for my honest opinion.

Zoocchini Organic Cotton Underwear

I see London, I see France, I see super cute, organic cotton underpants.

Zoocchini, an awesome brand of children’s products, ranging from hats and backpacks, to wash cloths and underwear-really abide by their motto of being beautifully different. Promoting a love of animals, nature and colour, the company only uses materials that are BPA, phthalate and lead free and strictly work with manufacturers that abide by their same precise standards.

 

Made with super soft, organic cotton, these boys boxer shorts are not only incredibly comfortable to wear, but also bright and whimsical-and easily help my 3 year old determine front from back with quirky little friends printed on the bum.

While sized a little generously, the fit is comfortable and loose and they’re easy for independent potty goers to pull on and off, while the elastic still maintains it’s shape.

If you’re looking for quality, fun products for your little one, I encourage you to visit Zoocchini’s official web site to find these adorable boxer shorts, and all the other amazing products they have to offer.

This post was my honest opinion in exchange for product.

Squeasy Gear

This post is my honest opinion in exchange for product.

 

I hate plastics. I try to avoid them as often as I possibly can (although they seem to control the world), especially when buying products for my boys. So when searching for an easy-to-take-along, non plastic water bottle that wasn’t quite as costly as stainless steel or glass, I was delighted to discover the Squeasy Gear Snacker and Squeasy Gear Sport 100% food grade silicone squeeze bottles.

 

 

These bottles are seriously the best. Not only are they fun to drink from because you can squeeze and squish them, but they’re also leak free, incredibly easy to clean with no small parts, and can be used for purees, apple sauce and yogurt as well-making them that much more versatile.

 

 

The Squeasy Snacker is 6 ounces, and I’ve loved using it for quick snacks in the car or for after parkour class or trips to the beach. They’re quick and easy to fill with whichever squeezable snack you choose, and won’t soak up the water from melted ice in a cooler. These will be a staple for snacking while we’re camping this summer.

The Squeasy Sport is 16 ounces, and we’ve absolutely loved using this one strictly for drinks, especially in the hot summer heat. It’s a must have for us to take along on any day trip as it holds a perfect amount of liquid for my older son, and because it’s fun to drink from really encourages him to drink a lot more water. The added bonus of it being silicone, is that when you do choose to put juice in them, the bottle won’t stain or absorb the smell.

 

Squeasy Gear bottles are now available in Canada at Wal Mart, or online at Squeasy Gear’s official web site.

Christmas Eve Box

I love Christmas traditions. I love any family tradition, really, but Christmas is my favourite holiday-so I have a little soft spot for traditions specific to the day.

When the hubby and I got married I knew I wanted to continue with our families traditions-but also start new ones of our own. The first year Little was around for Christmas I came across the idea for a Christmas Eve box and instantly fell in love. So simple and yet so much fun to put together. Each year I put in the following:

• Christmas pyjamas. Who doesn’t love a pair of cozy jammies? My favourite go to brand for these the past few Christmas’ has always been the fleece sleepers from Carter’s (as pictured above), but Old Navy generally has some super cute two piece and one piece sets.

• A new book.  The original idea that I saw for this box included a Christmas themed movie-but with everything being available online or on Netflix now a days, I chose to encourage Little’s love of reading instead. This year we bought the classic Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and added in a Christmas themed Paw Patrol one (which was an early gift from Little’s honorary Aunt and Uncle when they visited from Prague). In past years I’ve done other classic favourites from authors like Robert Munsch and Julia Davidson.

• A healthy treat/snack. You need to have something to munch on while cuddling up on the couch in your new pj’s to read your new book. We’ve LOVED Love Child Organics since pretty much the day we’ve started solids-and love their low sugar, natural and organic snack line. Last year we stuck a pack of their raspberry and vanilla Owlie cookies in Little’s box-this year we chose the raspberry and apple Pat A Cake rice crackers. You can find the full line of Love Child Organics products at Wal Mart, Well.ca and a large variety of other grocery and baby stores.

Wishing each and every one of you a Merry Christmas 🎄🎅🏻🤶🏻 and a Happy New Year!

Acorn and Leaf

About a month ago, we had the awesome pleasure of becoming brand reps for a great Canadian company run by the sweetest mompreneur- Acorn and Leaf, based out of Alberta.

They make the cutest bandana bibs from super cute cotton patterns, and back them with soft flannelet, to make them extra absorbent. They’re also sizeable, with a snap on the back, so they fit even the chubbiest littles.

They also make adorable infinity scarves, for mama’s and littles, in a variety of cute patterns and prints.

Definitely make sure you check them out at Acorn and Leaf and be sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook for updates on all the newest prints and awesome giveaways! 

 

Teething Sucks

Teething sucks. Big time. The drooling, the achy gums, the chapped cheeks, the ancey baby-it’s not an enjoyable time for anyone involved. I’ll always remember my family doctor telling me at one of Little’s appointments when he was a baby-that if we as adults had to teethe, we’d all be in the hospital. It’s a painful, seemingly never ending time in every baby’s life-but there are things that can at least help make it easier.

This list is just a few of the teething aid options out there-ones we’ve found have worked for us-or ones I know customers at my work adore.

• ChewBeads Jane Teething Necklace in blue-retails for $34.95 CDN-available at Well.ca, Bed, Bath and Beyond Canada, Liam and Lauren Baby, SnuggleBugz, and Best Buy Canada

A stylish necklace for mom to wear, but baby to chew-these necklaces are a great on the go option. Made from food grade silicone and with each bead individually knotted, they’re fun, colourful and come in a large variety of different styles and colours. I also love these for older Little’s. I recently picked one up for Little to chew on and fiddle with while we’re out running errands, and it helps keep him occupied and mellow.

• Acorn and Leaf Bandanna Bibs-retail for $10.75 CDN- available at Liam and Lauren Baby, Parenting By Nature, Acorn and Leaf, and Fluffy Bottom Babies.

Super cute and super stylish, these bandanna bibs are 100% cotton on the front, and flannelet on the back, making them super absorbent for those drooling, teething babes. They come in a selection of cute prints, and they also make beautiful infinity scarves for Lovely’s and Little’s-with mama’s scarf being able to double as a nursing cover. Bonus, it’s a mama-owned Canadian shop, so always nice to support Canadian business.

• Substance Lip and Cheek Balm-retails for $ 12.00 CDN-available at Well.ca, Parenting by Nature, Liam and Lauren Baby, and Cheeky Monkey.

Drooling and mild fevers seem to go hand in hand with teething-and so do red, chapped cheeks. Substance to the rescue! All natural, and in easy stick form, this balm is easy to apply to cherry red cheeks, to help calm and moisturize the skin. It’s not at all greasy, a little goes a long way, and it’s made in Toronto. This stuff is also great in the cold, dry winter months we Canadians love so much. 😊🇨🇦

• Lifefactory Silicone Teethers-retails for $16.95 CDN for a pack of two-available at Liam and Lauren Baby, Well.ca and Amazon Canada.

Easy for little hands to hold and with different textured ridges along the ring, these silicone teethers are awesome. Small enough to toss into a diaper bag or purse, you can also wear them as bracelets. They come in 3 different colour sets-yellow/green, blue/green and pink/purple. They’re also dishwasher safe, making them easy to clean after little has dropped it for the millionth time. 😊

• MunchMitt Baby Teething Mitten-retails for $21.95 CDN-available at SnuggleBugz, Well.ca, Cheeky Monkey, Liam and Lauren Baby, Amazon Canada

We can’t keep these awesome mitts in store. They’re fun with a quirky, crinkle noise-they’re functional with a textured silicone, chewable surface-and they’re convenient because they can be worn on either hand, so it doesn’t matter if little is a lefty or righty. Made by a fellow mama, it’s one of the best things on the market right now for teething-especially if you have an early teether who can’t grasp or hold onto toys quite yet. Teething babes love putting their fingers in their mouth to relieve sore gums, this is just a more fun, easier way to do it. Plus, it’s machine washable.

• Zoli Chubby Gummy-retails for $16.95 CDN for a two pack-available at Liam and Lauren Baby, Cheeky Monkey, and Well.ca

These cute little chubby sticks help massage little’s sore gums, on their own terms. Designed to be easy for tiny hands to hold, little can chew their hearts out, or gnaw and suck as much as they want on these guys. Made with an anti-choke shield to help prevent gagging, they come in 3 different colour sets-green/orange, purple/pink and blue/white.  They’re dishwasher safe and easy to tote in a diaper bag or purse.

Other great options are using a mesh Baby Safe Feeder  and putting frozen fruit, breast milk or plain ice cubes in it. Also, if you have a little who enjoys chewing on fabric, a nice option is the Zooley Ringly,  a fun, animal shaped buddy made from organic cotton with a removable wooden ring that can be replaced with any teether of your choice.

And remember, while in the midst of teething, always think “this too shall pass”-cause before you know it, that rosy cheeked little will be off to college-so enjoy it while it lasts 😊

Toddler Easter Essentials

 

I’m a big believer in the less is more mentality-especially when it comes to holiday gifts. Easter has to be one of my favourite holidays (after Christmas) to start new family traditions, do fun, themed activities, and to put together fun gifts for my little.

Wal Mart is an awesome place to grab Easter buckets-I tend to prefer the plastic as opposed to the wicker baskets-they’re more durable for on the go toddlers, plus they come in handy come warmer weather for beach/sandbox trips. They’re generally about $3 and under, and come in a bunch of cute prints. 

My little is obsessed with Kinder eggs, he doesn’t generally care about the toy much-but he loves the chocolate. Kinder always comes out with Easter versions of their classic eggs, which are always an easy chocolatey add on to an Easter basket. I find Wal Mart to generally have the best prices for these guys.

I have a tad bit of an obsession with Jellycat’s stuffies-especially their bunnies-so any excuse to buy one is a good excuse to me lol.  Indigo is my general go to store for these guys, but they are available online at places like Well.ca

Hunter boots are a little pricey-but worth it if you’re brand conscious and want the quality. Rain boots are a perfect add on to an Easter basket, because what better season then spring to go puddle jumping?